Barcelona’s search for a long-term No9 continues, with the club yet to find a direct replacement for Robert Lewandowski. But one of the players emerging as a possible solution is Anthony Gordon, who has made an impressive start since joining from Newcastle United.
Barcelona had hoped to sign Julián Alvarez this summer, but Atletico Madrid’s reluctance to sell the striker to a direct domestic rival helped bring the deal to a standstill. Gabriel Jesus is another option, with the Arsenal forward reportedly close to a move to the Catalan club.
The need for a new striker has become more pressing after Lewandowski and Ferran Torres both left this summer. The pair scored 40 goals for Barcelona last season, while Marcus Rashford, who contributed another 14 during his loan spell, has returned to Manchester United.
Barcelona therefore began the season without an established centre forward, forcing head coach Hansi Flick to consider several alternatives for the position.
Gordon is among them.
The 25-year-old joined Barcelona from Newcastle for a fee that could eventually reach €80 million. Although primarily a left winger and currently wearing the No17 shirt, he has already shown that he can operate through the middle.
His first weeks at the club have been particularly encouraging. After missing a penalty in a friendly against Al-Ahly, Gordon provided two assists in six minutes during Barcelona’s 5-0 win at Elche on the opening weekend of La Liga.
He then earned a standing ovation from the Nou Camp crowd after starting Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao. Gordon’s pace, directness and willingness to take on defenders impressed the supporters, with several thousand rising to applaud him when he was substituted late in the game.
Spanish media have quickly embraced the England international, with comparisons to former Barcelona striker Henrik Larsson emerging after Gordon’s strong start.
Flick has also been impressed.
“I’ve seen the same things other people did. The intensity, the speed,” he said. “And he’s just arrived, with the potential to get better.”
Barcelona had been monitoring Gordon closely during last season’s Champions League campaign. He faced them three times with Newcastle, starting all three matches as a central striker. He scored 10 goals in the competition, a tally surpassed only by Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane and equal to Alvarez.
That experience has strengthened the belief that Gordon could provide an alternative in the No9 role if required.
“As a No9, you have to start the press and be a good finisher,” Flick said. “We have various players who can do that.”
Gordon is not the only option. Fermin López, Dani Olmo and Raphinha could all be used centrally, while new signing Karim Adeyemi offers another option with his pace. Barcelona also have 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim, who has been promoted to the first-team squad and is the closest thing the club currently has to a traditional centre forward.
For now, however, Gordon appears to have established himself as an important part of Flick’s plans.
At 25, he is already one of the senior figures in a remarkably young Barcelona squad. While he was signed with the long term in mind, his versatility and experience mean the club may need him to make an impact immediately — potentially even in the No9 shirt.
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